Wittwer, UT

Carl T. Wittwer, Salt Lake City, UT US

Patent application number

Description

Published

20090117553

NUCLEIC ACID MELTING ANALYSIS WITH SATURATION DYES - Methods are provided for nucleic acid analysis wherein a target nucleic acid is mixed with a dsDNA binding dye to form a mixture. Optionally, an unlabeled probe is included in the mixture. A melting curve is generated for the target nucleic acid by measuring fluorescence from the dsDNA binding dye as the mixture is heated. Dyes for use in nucleic acid analysis and methods for making dyes are also provided.

05-07-2009

20090258414

SYSTEM FOR FLUORESCENCE MONITORING - The present invention is directed to devices for performing PCR and monitoring the reaction of a sample comprising a nucleic acid and a fluorescent dye. Illustrative devices comprise a heat exchange component for heating and cooling the sample, a control device for repeatedly operating the heat exchange component to subject the sample to thermal cycling, an excitation source for optically exciting the sample to cause the sample to fluoresce, a photodetector for detecting temperature-dependent fluorescence levels from the sample, and a processor configured to record and process emissions from the fluorescent dye.

10-15-2009

20090311673

NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION METHODS - The present invention is directed to devices for performing PCR and monitoring the reaction of a sample comprising a nucleic acid and a fluorescent dye. Illustrative devices comprise a heat exchange component for heating and cooling the sample, a control device for repeatedly operating the heat exchange component to subject the sample to thermal cycling, an excitation source for optically exciting the sample to cause the sample to fluoresce, a photodetector for detecting temperature-dependent fluorescence levels from the sample, and a processor configured to record and process emissions from the fluorescent dye.

12-17-2009

20100041044

AMPLICON MELTING ANALYSIS WITH SATURATION DYES - Methods are provided for nucleic acid analysis wherein a target nucleic acid that is at least partially double stranded is mixed with a dsDNA binding dye having a percent saturation of at least 50% to form a mixture. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid is amplified in the presence of the dsDNA binding dye, and in another embodiment a melting curve is generated for the target nucleic acid by measuring fluorescence from the dsDNA binding dye as the mixture is heated. Dyes for use in nucleic acid analysis and methods for making dyes are also provided.

02-18-2010

20100196890

PRIMERS FOR MELTING ANALYSIS - Methods and kits are provided for nucleic acid analysis. In an illustrative method a target nucleic acid is amplified using a first primer and a second primer, wherein the first primer comprises a probe element specific for a locus of the target nucleic acid and a template-specific primer region, and the probe element is 5′ of the template-specific primer region, subsequently allowing the probe element to hybridize to the locus to form a hairpin, generating a melting curve for the probe element by measuring fluorescence from a dsDNA binding dye as the mixture is heated, wherein the dye is not covalently bound to the first primer, and analyzing the shape of the melting curve. Kits may include one or more of the first and second primers, the dsDNA binding dye, a polymerase, and dNTPs.

08-05-2010

20100297656

AMPLICON MELTING ANALYSIS WITH SATURATION DYES - Methods are provided for nucleic acid analysis wherein a target nucleic acid that is at least partially double stranded is mixed with a dsDNA binding dye having a percent saturation of at least 50% to form a mixture. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid is amplified in the presence of the dsDNA binding dye, and in another embodiment a melting curve is generated for the target nucleic acid by measuring fluorescence from the dsDNA binding dye as the mixture is heated. Dyes for use in nucleic acid analysis and methods for making dyes are also provided.

11-25-2010

20120231522

Amplicon Melting Analysis With Saturation Dyes - Methods are provided for nucleic acid analysis wherein a target nucleic acid that is at least partially double stranded is mixed with a dsDNA binding dye having a percent saturation of at least 50% to form a mixture. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid is amplified in the presence of the dsDNA binding dye, and in another embodiment a melting curve is generated for the target nucleic acid by measuring fluorescence from the dsDNA binding dye as the mixture is heated. Dyes for use in nucleic acid analysis and methods for making dyes are also provided.

09-13-2012

20120258524

Annealing Curve Analysis In PCR - The present invention is directed to devices for performing PCR and monitoring the reaction of a sample comprising a nucleic acid and a fluorescent dye. Illustrative devices comprise a heat exchange component for heating and cooling the sample, a control device for repeatedly operating the heat exchange component to subject the sample to thermal cycling, an excitation source for optically exciting the sample to cause the sample to fluoresce, a photodetector for detecting temperature-dependent fluorescence levels from the sample, and a processor configured to record and process emissions from the fluorescent dye.

10-11-2012

20120301875

AMPLICON MELTING ANALYSIS WITH SATURATION DYES - Methods are provided for nucleic acid analysis wherein a target nucleic acid that is at least partially double stranded is mixed with a dsDNA binding dye having a percent saturation of at least 50% to form a mixture. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid is amplified in the presence of the dsDNA binding dye, and in another embodiment a melting curve is generated for the target nucleic acid by measuring fluorescence from the dsDNA binding dye as the mixture is heated. Dyes for use in nucleic acid analysis and methods for making dyes are also provided.

11-29-2012

20140370507

NUCLEIC ACID MELTING ANALYSIS WITH SATURATION DYES - Methods are provided for nucleic acid analysis wherein a target nucleic acid is mixed with a dsDNA binding dye to form a mixture. Optionally, an unlabeled probe is included in the mixture. A melting curve is generated for the target nucleic acid by measuring fluorescence from the dsDNA binding dye as the mixture is heated. Dyes for use in nucleic acid analysis and methods for making dyes are also provided.

12-18-2014

Patent applications by Carl T. Wittwer, Salt Lake City, UT US

Carl Thomas Wittwer, Salt Lake City, UT US

Patent application number

Description

Published

20090222503

Melting Curve Analysis with Exponential Background Subtraction - A system and methods are provided for melting curve genotyping analysis of nucleic acids. Melting curves are generated by plotting fluorescence of a sample as a function of temperature. In one illustrative example, an exponential algorithm is employed to remove the background from generated melting curves and thereby perform comparative analysis to other melting curves. Additional illustrative examples provide for measuring the differences between two or more melting curves and clustering the genotypes of the provided sample nucleic acids.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED MELTING CURVE ANALYSIS - An experimental melting curve is modeled as a sum of a true melting curve and background fluorescence. A deviation function may be generated based upon the experimental melting curve data and a model of a background signal. The deviation function may be generated by segmenting a range of the experimental curve into a plurality of windows. Within each window, a fit between the model of the background signal and the experimental melting curve data may be calculated. The deviation function may be formed from the resulting fit parameters. The deviation function may include background signal compensation and, as such, may be used in various melting curve analysis operations, such as data visualization, clustering, genotyping, scanning, negative sample removal, and the like. The deviation function may be used to seed an automated background correction process. A background-corrected melting curve may be further processed to remove an aggregation signal.